Envelop



(No Mudel.)

M. KING.

BNVELOP.

Patelited Apr. 27, 1897.

NITED STATES MATTIE KING, OF PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ASBURY BARGER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ENVELO P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,289, dated April 27, 1897.

Application filed September'23, 1896. Serial No. 606,772- (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MATTIE KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plymouth,

in the county of Plymouth and State of Massa-' chusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to envelops.

My object is to provide an extremely sim ple and cheap envelop which will be of such improved construction that after once being sealed it cannot be opened Without immediate detection, thereby satisfactorily preventing tampering with mail-matter of this class.

Having this object in view, my invention consists, in combination with an envelop pro vided with a slot, of a locking tab or flap connected to the back of the envelop and passing through said slot, being adapted to be wrapped around the envelop after the same has been scaled and glued in position, a portion of said tab or flap extending across the face of the envelop, so that a portion of the address will be written thereon, and hence should the flap be removed the missing part of the address will at once indicate that the envelop has been tampered with.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear View showing the flap of the envelop thrown back to disclose the manner in which my improved locking tab or flap is fastened to the rear of the envelop and passed through the slot; Fig. 2, a front view of the envelop as sealed; and Fig. 3, a view in cross-section, also showing the envelop sealed.

A designates an envelop which is, as usual,

provided with a flap B.

A slot O is made in the envelop on the folding-line of flap B.

One end of my improved locking tab or strip is glued or otherwise suitably fastened to the back of the envelop, as at D. The strip then passes through slot 0, across the front of the envelop, as at E, then back again across the back of the envelop, as at F, and has its end G folded down upon and stuck to portion E by means of gumming H, which is provided along the entire length of the strip, so that the whole of said strip can be pasted to the envelop. This gumming is of peculiar composition, being only adapted to stick when it becomes moistened, so that it will not adhere to the envelop before the same is used.

The address should be written on the envelop in such manner that it will extend across the strip, and hence should the strip be torn the break in the writing will show at once and be proof that the envelop has been opened or tampered with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with an envelop having the usual flap and provided with a slit extending along the bend of the flap, of a gummed locking-strip having one end connected to the back of the envelop immediately under the flap and extending through the slot and entirely around the envelop, being pasted thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTIE KING. Witnesses:

HENRY W. BARNES, WILLIAM W. BREWSTER. 

